Four-year-old Benyamin, with Mark Walters, MD, battled a cancer of the bone marrow, known as chronic myelogenous leukemia, for more than two years.
He traveled from Iran in search of a cure, and when all else failed, stem cell transplantation at Children’s was his last chance for survival.
In June 2003, Benyamin received an unrelated donor cord blood stem cell transplant. Four months later, he was free of disease.
Hematology/Oncology
SERVICES
Bi-weekly tumor board presentations
Blood and Marrow Transplant Program: The BMT program is directed by Mark Walters, MD, a leader in the field of clinical transplantation and research. The FACT accredited program provides a comprehensive range of patient services and therapies for malignant and non-malignant hematological disorders and hereditary disorders.
For more information visit the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program's page.
Comprehensive Thalassemia Center: The Comprehensive Thalassemia Center is the only thalassemia center funded by the National Institutes of Health that provides access to research therapy, transfusion unit services, BMT services, home Desferal education, and access to physicians to talk about cardiac, endocrine, liver and nutritional issues. For more information visit www.thalassemia.com or call (510) 428-3884, Ext. 4398.
Hemophilia and Hemostasis Center: Our nationally recognized program provides multidisciplinary clinics with the participation of physiatrists, hematologists, nurse practitioners, and mental health professionals. We also provide orthopedic support, access to new therapies, home care teaching, and a specialized program for inhibitor patients.
National Center for Sickle Cell Disease: Comprehensive program includes an inpatient unit, outpatient day unit, and specialty clinics for newborns and patients with chronic pain, lung disease, bone disease and brain injury.
We have the West Coast's only certified transcrannial Doppler screening program for early detection of patients at risk for stroke. The center is also the State Reference Laboratory for the diagnosis of hemoglobin disorders.
Oncology Program: Oncology services are provided by a multidisciplinary team that includes oncologists, radiation physicians, surgeons, nutritionists, pharmacists, pain management experts, social workers, psychiatrists, nurse specialists, child life specialists and a state-of-the-art bone marrow transplant unit.
We also have specialized neuro-oncology inpatient and outpatient services, provided by a team of oncologists, radiation physicians, neurosurgeons, endocrinologists, physiatrists and mental health professionals.
Pediatric Pheresis Program: Red cells, white cells, stem cells, and plasma pheresis for iron overload are provided by a multidisciplinary team of hepatologists, hematologists, nutritionists, child life workers and mental health professionals. Home chelation therapy education, phlebotomy, pheresis, liver biopsy and non-invasive iron studies are also provided.
Oncology-Pathology Unit: This team provides histological, cytochemical and molecular diagnosis of tumors.
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